The question of whether Utah will accept funds for Medicaid expansion is up in the air, but one group of Utah doctors and health professionals is hoping to change healthcare funding pre-emptively.

The Arches Health Plan has received approval from the state of Utah to operate as an insurance CO-OP, or Consumer Operated and Oriented Health Plan.

That means it is the only health insurer in the state to be owned completely by its members, according to a press release from the organization. Arches is a non-profit that got $85 million in start-up and solvency funding under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The group hopes to serve individuals, families and small and large groups. It’s available in every county and will serve the general market, or those who are formerly uninsured or under-insured.

“Its insurance model enables more direct partnership between physicians and their patients in diagnosis and treatment options, which provides greater flexibility and efficiency from timely response to each individual circumstance,” according to the release.

This form of health insurance is intended as a private-market option that would compete with the public option in Obamacare.

Open enrollment for individual, family and small and large group policies will begin October 1, and 2013 and coverage will begin January 1, 2014.

You can learn more about how the health care reform laws will affect you by visiting archeshealth.org/HealthcareReformOverview.php. Find more information and read the full law at healthcare.gov/law.